Bhutanese Buddhist & Cultural Center Canberra

08/09/2026

Choed Tshog Sengye Tsewa – Explanation by Lam Tshering Nidup🙏

08/09/2026

My Dear Fellow Bhutanese Community Members,

I would like to sincerely thank each and every one of you for the warm welcome, kindness, and hospitality extended to me since my arrival in Canberra. Your warmth, support, and encouragement mean a great deal to me.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Zhung Dratshang, the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Canberra, the Bhutanese Buddhist and Cultural Centre (BBCC) team, the ABAC Executive, representatives of other Chhoetshogs, and all members of our community for your support, assistance, and warm wishes as I begin my service here in Canberra.

My sincere appreciation also goes to my predecessor, Khenpo Kinzang Thinley, for his guidance, support, and dedication to the Bhutanese community during his tenure.
I am deeply grateful for the support that the BBCC team has extended to me since the day I was nominated by Zhung Dratshang to serve as the Lam of the Bhutanese Buddhist and Cultural Centre. I am now settled in and, with great joy and humility, would like to say that I am ready to serve the community.

As a representative of Zhung Dratshang and the Resident Lam of BBCC, I pledge to serve the Bhutanese community in Canberra and surrounding towns with my utmost dedication, sincerity, and ability.

In my role as Lam, I consider myself a Sungkhop of our community. I will make myself available to provide religious, spiritual, cultural, and pastoral care, as well as guidance and support to anyone who may need it.

As part of my daily commitment, I will maintain regular morning, daytime, and evening soelkha and prayers for the well-being, happiness, peace, and prosperity of all Bhutanese people in Canberra in particular, and for the benefit of all people in general.

Please feel free to contact me or visit the Centre whenever you need religious, spiritual, cultural, or pastoral support and guidance. I will always do my best to make myself available whenever my service is needed.

I look forward to your kind and continued support, friendship, and cooperation as we work together to strengthen, nurture, and preserve our precious Palden Drubi Chhoetshog dang Lamsuel for the benefit of present and future generations.

May our community continue to remain united, harmonious, compassionate, and spiritually strong.

With prayers and warm regards,
Resident Lam
Bhutanese Buddhist and Cultural Centre (BBCC), Canberra

05/09/2026

Once again Tashi Delek and congratulations to Khenpo Kinga on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for your dedication and continued service to BBCC and the Bhutanese community in Canberra.

It is because of Khenpo Kinga’s tireless efforts and dedication that more than 200 Droenchoe practitioners in Canberra have now learned the melodies and hand mudras. As a result, our monthly Tara and Menlha Drundrup is growing stronger and continuing to flourish.

BBCC is also coordinating regular learning sessions and practices of Chod Tshog Singye Tsewa every Saturday. All interested community members and devotees are warmly encouraged to contact Khenpo Kinga and his team and join the practice.

Khenpo Kinga also conducts Droenchoe classes every week. Those interested in learning Droenchoe are welcome to contact Khenpo Kinga, Phuntsho Choden, or Khenpo Sonam Gyeltshen for more information and to join the classes.

These two important programmes are an integral part of BBCC’s religious and spiritual services providing opportunities for our community members and interested devotees to learn, practise, and deepen their understanding of our precious Buddhist traditions.
Thank you Khenpo Kinga and the entire teamfor your dedication and service to the community.

04/09/2026

SENGEY TSEWA
The Revelry with the Lion

Sengey Tsewa (often translated as "The Revelry with the Lion") is a distinct and profound practice of Prajnaparamita (the transcendental wisdom of emptiness) and Chöd within Tibetan Buddhism.

It is primarily preserved and practiced as a cornerstone lineage of the Drukpa Kagyu school.Origins and LineageThe practice carries a rich spiritual history rooted in the combination of sudden realization and dakini transmission:The Transmission: The great female master Dakini Machig Labdron offered the teachings of Sengey Tsewa to Kunkhyen Pema Karpo (the Fourth Gyalwang Drukpa, 1527–1592) through his guru, Ava Dhutipa.

The Legacy: Since the 16th century, it has remained a primary practice for yogis, monks, and practitioners within the Drukpa Lineage. Core Philosophy and BenefitsAs a form of Chöd (literally meaning "to cut"), Sengey Tsewa focuses on cutting through the ultimate root of suffering: the illusion of a permanent ego or self.

The benefits of the practice are traditionally divided into two main dimensions:Liberation from Physical Suffering: By cultivating radical non-attachment (Shunyata) toward one's own physical body, a practitioner frees themselves from the grip of physical illnesses, fears, and unwanted external circumstances. This accumulation of merit eventually allows the practitioner to attain the Rupakaya (the Form Body of a Buddha).

Liberation from Mental Distraction: By applying non-attachment to conceptual thoughts and cognitive fabrications, a practitioner cuts through mental distractions and delusions. This leads directly to the full realization of Dharmakaya (the Truth Body of complete omniscience and absolute wisdom).

Practice ElementsSengey Tsewa is a highly ritualistic and meditative experience that often includes:Chöd Liturgy: Chanting sacred scripts that guide the visualization of offering one's own body as a feast to all sentient beings, deities, and spirits.

Sacred Instruments: The rhythmic use of the damaru (Chöd drum), kangling (thighbone trumpet), and bell to summon unseen forces and anchor the mind in emptiness.

Ganachakra (Tsok): It is frequently practiced alongside large feast offerings (Tsok) to accumulate massive merit and purify broken spiritual commitments.

03/09/2026

His Eminence Tsugla Lopen Rinpoche departs Canberra today for Sydney, and will then travel onwards to Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Lopen Rinpoche for his blessings, guidance and teachings during his stay in Canberra. We are also deeply grateful for his kindness in keeping us connected with our home country and updating us on the developments of the GMC and other important initiatives taking place back home.

We wish Lopen Rinpoche and his entourage a safe and fruitful journey to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

More than 30 people accompanied Lopen Rinpoche and his entourage as far as Goulburn to see them off on their journey to Sydney.

May Lopen Rinpoche and his entourage have a safe, peaceful and auspicious journey. May his visit continue to bring blessings and benefit to
communities across Australia.

With deepest respect and gratitude,
Thank you, Lopen Rinpoche. 🙏🙏🙏

02/09/2026

His Eminence Tsugla Lopen Rinpoche Visits Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre:

His Eminence Tsugla Lopen Rinpoche visited the Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre in Lyneham today and met with Most Venerable Master Thich Quang Ba, Founding President of the Centre.

The Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre is one of the largest Buddhist institutions in Canberra. The Centre has long supported Buddhists from diverse ethnic backgrounds and has provided a shared space for smaller Buddhist congregations and communities including our Bhutanese community in Canberra. For more than a decade, the Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre has generously supported our community by providing access to their temple and other facilities for spiritual and religious activities.

On behalf of the Bhutanese community and BBCC, Lopen Rinpoche expressed his heartfelt appreciation to Most Venerable Master Thich Quang Ba for the Centre’s longstanding kindness, generosity and support.

His Eminence commended the Centre for its commitment to supporting other communities and noted that sharing its facilities plays an important role in promoting Buddhist teachings, values and harmony within the wider community.

Most importantly, the Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to support the Bhutanese community by providing access to its temple and facilities for our regular religious and spiritual activities, including our weekly Droenchoe practices.

During the visit, Lopen Rinpoche, together with our Khenchens and Khenpos also offered prayers at the Van Hanh Monastery and toured the temple’s facilities.

BBCC remains deeply grateful to Most Venerable Master Thich Quang Ba and the Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre for their continued friendship, generosity and support towards our community.
Australia-Bhutan Association of Canberraགཞུང་གྲྭ་ཚང་། The Central Monastic Body of BhutanA Pathway to Nirvana - ཐར་པའི་ལམ་བཟང།

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

Chod Tshog Sengye Tsewa Tshogpa Established in Canberra:

We are pleased to inform everyone that with the blessings and patronage of His Eminence Tsugla Lopen Rinpoche, Chod Tshog Sengye Tsewa Tshogpa was formally established in Canberra on 30 August 2026 during the second day of the public programme presided over by His Eminence.

During the Tshogkhor, Lopen Rinpoche bestowed the Lung and Chod empowerment upon the practitioners and community members. Rinpoche also graciously granted Razey (Robs) and Khadhar to all the practitioners, making the occasion especially auspicious and meaningful.

The Choe Tshog has been established under the Dewachen Spiritual Centre, one of the spiritual projects under GMC led by His Eminence Tsugla Lopen Rinpoche of the Zhung Dratshang. The Canberra Chod Tshog will function under the Bhutanese Buddhist and Cultural Centre (BBCC), under the spiritual guidance and leadership of our Resident Lam, Khenchen Kinley Dendup.

His Eminence has also entrusted Khenpo Kinga Namgyel, through a Kasho (official order), with the responsibility of teaching Chod to interested practitioners.

The Chod teachings and practices were initiated in Canberra a few months ago with the support and guidance of Chod Tshog Lam Tshering Nidup of Zhung Dratshang, who was sent to Australia by Lopen Rinpoche and is still in Canberra, continuing to provide guidance and support to the practitioners. We are pleased to share that there are now more than 100 practitioners learning and practising Chod Tshog in Canberra.

We are deeply grateful to His Eminence Tsugla Lopen Rinpoche for his blessings, guidance, and continued support, and to Chod Tshog Lam Tshering Nidup, Khenpo Kinga Namgyel, and all those who have contributed to the establishment and growth of the Choe Tshog in Canberra.

May the Choe teachings and practices flourish and benefit many beings. 🙏
Bhutanese in Canberraགཞུང་གྲྭ་ཚང་། The Central Monastic Body of BhutanA Pathway to Nirvana - ཐར་པའི་ལམ་བཟང།སེམས་ཀྱི་ངལ་གསོ། In Pursuit of Peace in Mind

31/08/2026

🙏 A HEARTFELT THANK YOU 🙏

The Bhutanese Centre (BBCC) would like to express our deepest gratitude to His Eminence Tsugla Lopen Rinpoche for graciously presiding over the Mangi Rimdro, Ekazati Soelkha, and Singye Tsewa Tshokhor, and for bestowing Kawang upon the Bhutanese community in Canberra.

We are immensely blessed to have received His Eminence’s presence, teachings and blessings during these auspicious days.

🌸 Our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors:

• Day 1: Salad Master Group
• Day 2: Tashi Tinda
• Tea Sponsor for both days: Chura and her husband

Your generous support helped make these programs possible, and we deeply appreciate your kindness and generosity.

🙏 To all our Droenchoe members, thank you for your tireless efforts in preparing and selling Tshog and Momo on both days. Your dedication and service contributed greatly to the success of the programs.

🙏 To all the Drukluk Ched Tshog members, thank you for your participation in the Singye Tsewa Tshokhor and for preserving and continuing this precious tradition within our community.

🙏 To all our volunteers, thank you for giving your time and energy—from preparing and setting up the venue, assisting throughout the programs, serving the community, to cleaning up afterwards. Every contribution, big or small, was deeply appreciated.

Finally, our sincere gratitude to the Bhutanese community in Canberra for your continued support, participation and encouragement. These auspicious programs are possible because of the collective effort, generosity and unity of our community.

May the blessings of His Eminence Tsugla Lopen Rinpoche continue to benefit our community and all sentient beings.

🙏 Kadrinchey la! 🙏

30/08/2026

Ending the two day program presided over by HE Tsugla Lopen Rinpoche with Tashi Labey